Panasonic TX26LXD52: Stupid name, nice TV

We're going to have a hard time reviewing TVs in 2006. The latest Samsungs, Sonys and Philips have been so good that we can't see how they're going to be bettered (although undoubtedly they'll reveal something like Hi-Def Version 2 and we'll have to upgrade all over again).

The Panasonic TX26LXD52 is another TV that has it all -- high-definition compatibility, an integrated Freeview tuner and the Viera colour management system tidying up the picture on-the-fly. This is no plain vanilla integrated digital TV (iDTV) either. It's also got a TopUp TV card slot so you can get some extra channels on subscription.

As we said in our review of the non-HD TX26LXD50, all the TV needed was the 'HD Ready' badge to make it the perfect LCD. We didn't expect Panasonic to meet our demands quite so quickly. Anyone who has been waiting for Panasonic's unique Viera styling and famously good picture quality in time for the Xbox 360 should get on the Web and hunt down this bargain -- our quick search revealed that it's available for well under £800.

Just one point -- the Panasonic doesn't have a VGA socket. When we tried inputting some hi-def action from our Dell XPS, we couldn't even plug it into the TV. Doh! But it gives us a reason to sort out that Sky HD subscription soon.

We'll check out the Panasonic in more depth later next week, prodding and poking it to find some sort of weakness. But on first impressions, we'd say the Samsung range finally has some competition. -GC

Update: a full review of the Panasonic TX26LXD52 is now live here.

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